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Print Friendly MapThe Flatwoods Park Trail is located within a park of the same name. Flatwoods Park is just one of five parks that make up the Wilderness Park system. These parks include Trout Creek, Dead River, Morris Bridge and John B. Sargeant Memorial Park. This multi-purpose route is a seven-mile paved loop that provides a pleasant wooded experience with abundant wildlife such as armadillo, turtles, hawks, and deer to name a few. Towards the edge of the trail going west and north, you will ride pass some of Tampa’s housing developments. There are several picnic shelters, grills and tables available throughout the trail with a fee, along with coolers and other amenities. Some caution should be used during and after rain showers as puddles can develop. On any given day, there is a good blend of cyclers, joggers, hikers, and skaters and proper etiquette should be used by all.
There is a two-mile extension that connects the main loop to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard with an additional paved one-mile connection between Morris Bridge Road and the loop road.
Please note that Class 1 electric bikes (e-bikes) are allowed, but Class 2 and Class 3 are prohibited.
The Morris Bridge entrance is about 5 miles northeast of I-75 on Morris Bridge Road (CR 579) at Flatwoods Park Trail. Taking exit 266 towards E Fletcher Ave/Morris Bridge Road will take you directly to the park. A visitor center is located within the entrance with additional parking available 0.5 miles further west where the loop trail begins.
The Bruce B. Downs Boulevard (CR 581) entrance is 1 mile northeast of I-75 via exit 270 at the intersection of Richmond Place Drive with restrooms and parking available.
There is a limitation on eBikes. The must be Class 1. Class 2 and Class 3 are prohibited
The trail has an eBike limitation of Class 1 so if you go beware
I did a few trails did about 16 miles today on and off the paved trail. Spotted a couple deer!
This is one of the best trails in Tampa. This is my review of the paved trail. The unique feature about this trail is that you can make it as long as you want because it's a circle. In addition to water stations, smooth pavement, restrooms, park ranger security, wildlife, parking, no vehicles, no traffic lights and it's Flat ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿
We did this today, we took a right at 1st intersection, which took us into the “new tamps nature trail”. After turning around and getting the correct route, it was wide, open and flat!!!
This trail is awsome. Love the water supplied. Nice trail smooth, the path is nice and wide.
Did 11 miles great experience love this park.
Fun, relaxing 7mile asphalt loop. Great fun!
We enjoyed this trail so much! So beautiful, serene and peaceful. Two mile mark from parking lot off of Bruce. B down has a water area which is great because going that far with children it’s nice to have a stop point where they can Reenergize. Great for all workouts ie cycling blading or roller skating and jogging due to smooth asphalt
This trail is 2 miles from my house and we ride our bikes there once or twice a week. The main trail is pavement which is well maintained and very flat (hence the name! You will see many distance cyclists flying through the park, training.) There are water stations every two miles that provide cold fresh water and some shelter from the sun. There are, also many, many off road trails to take. These trails can be challenging due to all the tree roots and the holes created by wild hogs on the sides of the trail. Sometimes the width of the trail is less than a foot. These off road trails definitely require a hybrid or mountain bike if riding. My opinion is that Flatwoods is best for cyclists, runners, or inline skates, not so much for walking. You have a 2 mile walk to get to the trail loop (which is 7 miles) and the scenery does not vary much throughout. Going off road is fun although difficult to enjoy your surrounding as you have to concentrate fully on navigating the path. Although I’m not a fan of walking the trail you will see all ages and abilities enjoying the trail on foot. Wildlife sightings have mostly consisted of birds although, near dusk and dawn you may see deer. We had an exciting encounter on an overcast day with 6 deer close to the path. We stopped and they crossed the path only several feet behind us. I took away one star on this path because of the sameness of the scenery and that once you go in there is no quick escape route if you tire. Proper walking shoes are a must as well as hat and sunscreen, and bring your cell phone in case of emergency.
Awesome place to ride any type of bicycle, walk or run. Safe place for families. Couple of places to stop and rest and get water. There is one bridge that is metal and can be slippery. Walk your bike a crossed it. Does cost $2.00 a day to park. Well maintained.
We loved it!
This loop trail is a great ride and allows for viewing natural surroundings. My wife and I started at the park headquarters where we paid our $2 parking fee and used the restrooms. The loop is plenty wide enough to accommodate slower, casual riders such as our selves while allowing more serious riders (and skaters) to pass. We took the 2 mile extension to the other park entrance where more facilities and refreshment is available. The main path was under water, but a foot bridge has been constructed to get over it.
If one were to ride this repeatedly, it might get a little boring I suspect. But for a couple of northerners escaping the cold, it was a little taste of heaven.
Just up the road from the park is the development of Cross Creek with lots of good places to eat.
I’ve been quite a few times, always nice. Lots of wildlife even saw a gator off the trail a few 100 feet or so. Not a place to go if not biking or riding something, few picnic tables. It’s somewhere I go without my kids and take them to other parks that are more kid friendly. Water stations along way, air pump and clean bathrooms
Great road & mtb trails, very easy and fast.. Only down fall is any kind of rain will end the ride.. trails flood very easy even the road loop.
Trails hold water for a long time, you can count on any kind of rain closing the trails for a couple of weeks.
Rode this for the first time today. Byclists were freindly/respectful of one another. Wild life to see and water stops were good. A $2.00 fee was fine if it helps with upkeep. Put this on your list to ride!
Jump on Flatwoods Park Trail at Bruce B Downs and ride for hours in the beautiful Tampa outback. Its calm, serene. and safe. You can easily find a trail marker and never get lost.....Rangers patrol and there are plenty of water stops if you run out. Great place to ride the trails or paved bike path.
Really love the loop is one way and wide open. You can travel at any pace on you bicycle with this much space. There were some reviews that stated parking is only cash but this is not true any more as the pay machine takes credit cards now for those that do not carry cash.
Positives of this trail would be it's flat, clean and easy to access to the trail, has restrooms and parking available if you get there early on the weekend.
There really isn't much to see in terms of wildlife on the trial but it is a good trail to do some training in terms of mileage. I went on a Saturday so there was a significant number of people walking, running, skating, biking including a group that was speed biking as a group. If you want less traffic, I would suggest going during the week when school is in session. I did enjoy putting in some miles for my exercise.
Love riding Flatwoods Park for a good workout and great senery.
A wonderful Sunday morning trail.
The 7 mile multi-use loop lives up to its name. I always prefer a loop. It's so nice to be able to park, cycle and return to the vehicle without having to turnaround.
This is a wonderful paved flat trail surrounded by wonderful Florida wildlife. Rest and water stations are plentiful.
This trail now has automated parking meters that can accept credit/debit cards as well as cash. $2 for the day includes all Hillsborough County Parks.
Drove from I-75 and turned east on Bruce B. Downs Blvd, driving less than a mile before turning right (south) into the entrance. Trail head has restrooms and a Pepsi machine. We enjoyed the very smooth asphalt surface and the scenery -lots of the "old Florida" with palmettos and native trees. Saw a 6' alligator off to the side. Friendly bicyclists passed us (we're on recumbent trikes) and we passed walkers and a skater.
A quick shower hit us at the best time, as we were only a few feet from a shelter. Nice to have a place to hang out.
INSIDER INFO:
1) 11 mile trip if you use the Bruce B. Downs entrance. 7 miles if you use the Morris Bridge road entrance. Plan accordingly!
2) After riding there are several places to grab a fast food lunch (ChickFila, etc) and a Walgreens to visit if you stop and happen to adjust your bike seat on an ant bed like me.
nice easy ride. has a lot of off trails if mtb is ur thing. does cost 2 bucks to park. wildlife was a nice change from seeing cars.
I have ridden the Flatwoods loop for almost 20 years now and it's just great, getting better maintained and more accessible each year. I have hiked, road biked, trail biked and run this trail and its just a great place to be out with nature and others. I
I had walked this trail several times with my dog. It is paved woodsy, but not too many shade. The times I had been it has been only a few people, so, I do not like that. Also, I think it needs more signs for those like me that can be lost easily. Overall I enjoy this trial! Check it out.
This is a very good trail that makes a 7 mile loop while passing through some nice woods. We ride this trail often. The trail is so wide, you will ride mostly in the sun which will be hot in the summer time, but they do an excellent job of maintaining the hydration stations. Lots of riders come here to ride fast but there is plenty of room for passing so it's not an issue for us slower riders. There are also miles and miles of off road trails as well. In the evenings there is less traffic and it's more peaceful. Look for deer in the woods, especially on the southern side near the end of the loop.
Paved and easy to ride with very little for elevation or hills. Portions will be under water during rainy season so prepare yourself. Tucked into nature can be beautiful but absolutely watch for Cottonmouth snakes when riding in the AM during winter months as I have seen plenty of them on the asphalt looking to warm themselves. Water stations every few miles are a blessing in the Florida heat!
I've visited this trail once before and it was great. Decided to take my 10 yr old today for his first time and the park was closed. I'm not sure why, as I couldn't read the sign. I guess I'll try another time. ¿¿
Flatwoods is a great place to go to just get your miles in. It isn't terribly exciting BUT that beats getting hit by a car. For the most part, people are there to actually exercise not just "mosey" so this trail generally isn't an exercise in frustration to use. You will need to bring $2 CASH to park.
The loop itself is about 7 miles and traffic is supposed to flow in only one direction but people don't always obey this. There are 3 connectors which connect to the Bruce B. Downs parking lot (next to Chili's), the Morris Bridge Rd. lot, and New Tampa Nature Park. There are also mountain bike and hiking trails (unpaved) criss-crossing throughout the park which connect to other lots.
There are restrooms at 2 locations and cold water is provided in coolers at 4 locations plus water fountains at the parking lots. The water stations have cone cups, a few benches, and are shaded but I recommend you bring your own bottle too. There are bike-wash showers at each parking lot.
The landscape/ecosystems change a little bit and you will most likely see some wildlife, most often tortoises, snakes, and birds (raptors and wading birds). I've seen wild pigs and deer too.
Portions of the trail get closed now and then for maintenance and once a year they have controlled burns. Check the Hillsborough County website just to be sure. Be aware that due to flooding in the summer months the off-road portions are often closed and there will be a little water over the trail in some areas.
Very scenic, a lot to take in while riding. If the trail was longer I would give it 5 stars. Other then that it was great.
Completed a morning walk around the seven mile trail, really enjoyed the wide paved road and scenery. The water stations along the path are perfect for breaking up the trail. The best 2 bucks I ever spent..
Excellent park to ride away from traffic. The only issue we have are the " roadies" that think they own the trail and speed by everyone going way too fast for a trail frequented by small children and seniors. They speed by in groups often cutting back in recklessly
My husband and I rode this trail in January of 2016. It was a great time to ride as it was on the cool side. What we really loved about this trail was the fact that there were no cars or cross streets and the scenery was beautiful. It is a continuous loop going one direction. You can extend your ride by taking the extension that concludes at a park. There were many riders the day we were there, but as you all go in the same direction, it was very pleasant. Nice areas to stop and rest. We took the loop twice to add extra miles. As in most Florida parks, you have to pay a $2 fee, but at this one, you put your money in an envelope, put it in the receptacle, and hang a tag on your rear view mirror. Very nice trail, well maintained, and varied enough to make the ride interesting. We had a little trouble finding the place as there are several entrances along that same road that lead you to other areas of the park. Address we were given was not exactly correct, but well worth the adventure of finding the trail.
I enjoyed this trail with my kids. It really was 11 miles long. We found a cool zip line just off the trail. Looking forward to our next trail ride.
Appreciate the cold water
Stayed just around the corner from Flatwood and went there 3 times over a weeks time. Love that it's a circle and everyone has to go the same direction. Easy to go around numerous times to get a good workout in.
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